Three Kings' Day Celebration: History And Traditions Behind 'El Día De Los Reyes'

Santa Claus may have gone back to the North Pole to rest, but it doesn’t mean the gift-giving (and receiving) is over -- at least not for the thousands of children in Latin America and Spain anxiously awaiting“El Día de los Reyes” Celebration on Jan. 6th.

For many Christians, the holiday season doesn’t officially end until the 12th day of Christmas known as the “Feast of the Epiphany” or “Three Kings' Day”.

The gold offered by one of the wise men is a symbolic acknowledgment of Jesus’ royal standing as “King of the Jews,” while the frankincense manifests the divine nature of the baby’s existence, since he is not an earthly king but the Son of God. And finally the myrrh, often used to embalm corpses, was gifted to the newborn as a symbol of Jesus’ mortality -- foreshadowing his death as a means to cleanse humanity of its sins.

Here are some of the traditions, recipes, and celebration that surround “El Día de los Reyes”.

Traditional "Rosca De Reyes"

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Traditionally baked round as an allusion to a King's crown, the Rosca de Reyes (or Kings' Bread) is a staple of the holiday. Hidden within the sweet bread is a "baby jesus" figurine -- the individual who finds the toy in their slice must then prepare tamales for everyone on the Day of the Candles, which is celebrated on February 2.

Many families leave a box of grass (or hay) and water for The Three King's camels to eat. Similar to the tradition of leaving out cookies and milk for Santa Claus. Camels are known for being a bit sloppy and leaving a trail of hay behind that children can often follow to their gifts!

Celebrate With Family Dinner

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Hispanic families will usually celebrate Three Kings Day with a scrumptious dinner that is topped off with the King's Bread (Rosca de Reyes) for dessert. Children also sometimes make crowns to wear at the table in honor of the kings.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misquoted Matthew by describing the "star" the three kings followed as the "North star."

Three Kings' Day Celebration: History And Traditions Behind 'El Día De Los Reyes'

Three Kings Day

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The Three Kings

The Three Kings Day (D&iacutea De Los Reyes Magos) celebrates the Nativity story of the Three Kings, also referred to as The Three Wise Men --Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar -- who brought gifts to baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Sometimes it is referred to as the 12th Day of Christmas and in many Hispanic households it's given the same importance as December 25th.